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NiklasTyreso wrote:Is it as safe/risky to use the fresh comfrey plants as dry plant material?

I was impressed by the comfrey oil for external use last year. The oil/salve of comfrey is good externaly for the skin but I do not find the oil good for the joints.Last week I tried fresh plant comfrey infusion and was saw the positive effects on my skin and felt a improvement in the joints, especially in my lower back that was hurt 13 years ago when I every day lifted and carried my daughter that was a baby then. Comfrey do have very positive effects.

Sometimes scientists report they have found people that have got serious liver problems from Comfrey leaf infusion, but most users probably newer get any problem from it.

I think I will use it a few times every summer, not more, as I 30 years ago got hepatitis as a side effect from glandular fewer (kissing disease). My liver has been ok since then but I feel I should take extra care about it as I just have one liver. I do not drink alcohol and I don’t do drugs.

To not use comfrey daily is probably wise as the substances in comfrey that can hurt the liver newer get a chance to accumulate in the body then.

This year I try growing Marian thistle that have very positive effect on the liver. If they grow well I might combine the infusion of them with my occasional infusion of comfrey, to be kind to my liver.

I have collected enough burdock leafs (that are good for the liver) to make weekly infusions for the next year. I will also, 1-2 times a week, drink infusions of birsh leaves, hawthorn leaves/flowers, sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) and make tea from yarrow.

Knowing that I 30 years ago had hepatitis from glandular fewer virus, do you think I should never use comfrey infusion or is there a good safe way to improve collagen production and joint function with comfrey, for me?

Comfrey is a tough one to advise on, individual choice with research and it sounds like you are doing yours.Something I have read many times, Susun may have even said as much, comfrey combined with another herb such as plantain or calendula can temper the possible damaging effects of comfrey (I think Henriette Kress also mentions this?)I'm a huge fan of external use of the leaf, amazing healer/mender.

Niklas, regarding Marian Thistle aka Milk Thistle aka Silybum marianum, it doesn't extract well in water, it does extract, but the best results are seen when used as a food or tincture...food/ground and stirred in water or juice and drank, or ground and cooked with grains...after soaking overnight, the seed husk is real hard)I'll look for sources...(I think I read that there is a process to make MT more water soluble, many commercial products available.)

Both comfrey and plantain contain allantoin so I have collected as much plantain I could. Now I drink plantain tea once a week.Plantain is safe but much harder to collected in large amounts.

I am aware that Maria thistle seeds should be extracted in fat for best hepatoprotective effect, but...

I saw a tv program about the "Blue zones" where people have very good longevity and they mentioned that it was a common practice among Sardinian elders to drink Maria thistle leaf tea.I tried it and like it.

Mmmmm I hadn't even considered the LEAVES for tea! Food, yes but leaf tea...I will have to try that.The last two previous years we grew the thistles, this year the chickens got into the garden and they wiped out all of the baby thistles along with teasel, holy basil....anything young and tasty got devoured....they didn't care for the lemon balm.

Niklas...what about Lemon balm? Lemon balm is Liver protective, I don't recall if it also repairs damaged liver tissue...tasty, easy to grow (invasive in fact lol).